Praveen Kumar grabs bronze in men’s T64 high jump despite a hip injury; Banti finishes sixth
Ekta Bhyan claims silver in F51 club throw, producing a season’s best of 19.80m
Soman Rana bags bronze in men’s shot put F57; medal may be upgraded following an appeal
A mix of emotions marked India’s second-last day at the World Para Athletics Championships. Praveen Kumar, grappling with a hip injury, had to settle for bronze in the men’s T64 high jump, while Ekta Bhyan chose to focus on the positives, adding silver in the F51 club throw to her collection.
Earlier in the championships, a foreign coach raised safety concerns after a stray dog incident, which had left athletes and staff uneasy despite reassurances from organisers about security measures.
India’s medal tally now stands at 18 (6 gold, 6 silver, 6 bronze), surpassing their previous best of 17 at Kobe 2024. Brazil continued their strong run at the top of the table with 37 medals.
The day’s third medal came from 42-year-old army veteran Soman Rana, who claimed bronze in men’s shot put F57 with a season’s best throw of 14.69m. Rana’s medal could be upgraded to silver pending the outcome of an appeal against Brazil’s Thiago Paulino Dos Santos. Officials confirmed that the final decision will be announced after Sunday’s hearing.
Praveen Kumar’s Bronze Amid Injury Struggles
Paris Paralympic gold medallist Praveen Kumar cleared 2.00m in the men’s T64 high jump, but it wasn’t enough for gold. Uzbekistan’s Temurbek Giyazov claimed top honours with a personal best of 2.03m, while Great Britain’s Jonathan Broom-Edwards took silver on countback. Praveen cleared 2.00m on his second attempt, while Broom-Edwards did so on his first.
The 22-year-old visibly struggled through the event, shortening his run-up and wincing after each jump. “I have been nursing a hip injury for the last 10-12 days, which is why I shortened my run-up,” he said. “I am not at all happy with my performance. I was attempting 2.07m in training and I suffered a stretch injury in my hip. Every time I was attempting a takeoff, I was having discomfort. Even as I stand here I am having pain in the affected leg.”
India’s other contender, 22-year-old Banti, finished sixth with a personal best of 1.87m. Praveen praised him, noting, “He is shaping up well. If he takes care of his body I'm sure he will cross 2.00m and be in contention for the 2026 Asian Para Games in Japan.”
Despite the setback, Praveen is already looking ahead: “I am disappointed because the World Para Athletics are taking place in India for the first time and I could not give my personal best (of 2.08m). I had been consistently doing 2.05m in training before injury and had a target of 2.10m, but things changed after the injury.”
Ekta Bhyan Shines With Silver in F51 Club Throw
Ekta Bhyan, who had hoped to defend her 2024 Worlds gold, produced a season’s best of 19.80m to claim silver in the F51 club throw. Ukraine’s Zoia Ovsii dominated the event with a 24.03m throw, while Neutral Para Athlete Ekaterina Potapova took bronze with 18.60m.
The 40-year-old, who competes in the F51 category for athletes with severe impairments, remained upbeat. “I am super happy, This is my third Worlds medal and I am glad that I could repeat my performance. Now looking forward to the 2028 LA Paralympics,” she said.
She added, “The performance here was okay. The humidity was really bad and it's very difficult to regulate the body temperature in this weather. The target was to win gold. I worked a lot on my skill and strength in the last one year. It's a sigh of relief. It comes after the (F51) event was not included in the Paris Paralympics.”
Soman Rana Claims Bronze In Shot Put F57
Soman Rana, who lost his right leg in a mine blast in 2006, earned bronze in the men’s shot put F57 with a throw of 14.69m, the highlight of his international career. Fellow Indians Hokato Hotozhe Sema (14.35m) and Shubham Juyal (13.72m) finished sixth and seventh respectively.
Iran’s Yasin Khosravi continued his dominance with a world record throw of 16.60m, achieving a remarkable hat-trick of World Para Athletics Championships titles, with all six of his throws surpassing 15m.
With one day remaining, India is on track to achieve its best-ever medal haul at the World Para Athletics Championships, setting up an exciting finale for the home crowd.
With PTI Inputs
